A novel method for local administration of strontium from implant surfaces

This study proves that a film of Strontianite (SrCO₃) successfully can be formed on a bioactive surface of sodium titanate when exposed to a strontium acetate solution. This Strontianite film is believed to enable local release of strontium ions from implant surfaces and thus stimulate bone formation in vivo. Depending on the method, different types of films were achieved with different release rates of strontium ions, and the results points at the possibility to tailor the rate and amount of strontium that is to be released from the surface. Strontium has earlier been shown to be highly involved in the formation of new bone as it stimulates the replication of osteoblasts and decreases the activity of osteoclasts. The benefit of strontium has for example been proved in studies where the number of vertebral compression fractures in osteoporotic persons was drastically reduced in patients receiving therapeutical doses of strontium. Therefore, it is here suggested that the bone healing process around an implant may be improved if strontium is administered locally at the site of the implant. The films described in this paper were produced by a simple immersion process where alkali treated titanium was exposed to an aqueous solution containing strontium acetate. By heating the samples at different times during the process, different release rates of strontium ions were achieved when the samples were exposed to simulated body fluid. The strontium containing films also promoted precipitation of bone like apatite when exposed to a simulated body fluid.